In the minds of many, ABA therapy has two extremes:
Some people imagine ABA as training - nothing complicated, “pour and drink” - read Lovaas, put the “autist” in a corner, pressed him with a table, waved a candy in front of his eyes, and let’s mumble: “Look at me!”, “Clap”, “Where red?".

Others represent ABA as “overseas caviar, eggplant” - where can one find an ABA specialist who will work with a child and cure him of all autistic ailments? The specialist must be ABA, and certified, preferably “overseas”, and very, very experienced.

But, as elsewhere, the “golden mean” is good in ABA.

In fact, ABA, as it is, is not a discipline. ABA therapy is an intensive training program that is based on behavioral technologies and training methods.
same as discipline is the science that studies the influence of factors in the environment on behavior, and manipulates these factors to change behavior.
A parallel can be drawn with medicine - there is direct “healing” performed by doctors and nurses, and there is pharmacology - the development and manufacture of drugs, and the study of their effectiveness.
So in ABA, the scientific discipline studies behavioral processes, and therapists use the methods in practice. Particularly when working with children with autism.

But is research activity necessary for ABA therapists? Is an ABA therapist only required to be an “ABA” by profession? Do I have to have 20 years of work experience to carry out educational programs and work with an autistic child? No. Anyone can do behavioral work. BUT- provided that he is ready to learn, and to learn on an ongoing basis.

As in medicine, can an ordinary person learn how to give injections? Is it necessary to study for 11 years to become a doctor? Or 4 years to become a nurse? Or under the guidance of a nurse - learn this in a couple of hours/times/days? Of course, there are people who will never learn how to give injections, no matter how much you show or tell them, but there are also those who can learn this despite the lack of full medical education.

But, on the other hand, if you don’t have a teacher who will show you how and what needs to be done, and make sure that all actions are performed correctly - until you learn how to give injections as a self-taught person - if you don’t kill, you will seriously harm the health of your “patients”. And in ABA too, it is not enough to read examples of educational programs on a forum, in a blog, or in a book, and rush to apply these programs to all children in a row. It is not surprising that many children do not progress in the "homemade" ABA program, and the treatment does not so much cure as it cripples.

Undoubtedly, the more experienced the ABA therapist, the better the quality of his work, the more effective the training and the faster the child’s progress. But one is not born experienced, one becomes experienced. And you can and should gain experience in practice, under the guidance of an experienced ABA specialist who will show, tell and describe what to do and how to do it.

Therefore, the child’s parents themselves can learn how to carry out the ABA program, both novice specialists/students and experienced specialists of various profiles. The main thing is to fulfill Lenin’s most important behest - “Study, study, and study again...”
Examples of training parents to use behavioral methods can be found

Unfortunately, there is no magic pill that cures autism. To correct the condition, complex methods are usually used to compensate for the manifestations of this diagnosis.

Medication methods

Medicines are used only to correct specific conditions that arise due to autism. In particular, to relieve aggressiveness, with convulsive activity, to improve blood circulation in the brain, correct metabolic disorders, etc.

Such drugs include:

• Anticonvulsants.
• Antipsychotic.
• Nootropics.
• Vitamins.

Medicines are used individually, depending on the child’s condition and are prescribed only by a doctor.

Hippotherapy, music therapy

Such activities have a positive effect on autistic people, helping them adapt to the world around them. Uniform, constant movements in rhythm with the horse's walking correspond to the autistic tendency towards stereotyping. The child does not leave the framework of his closed world, nevertheless communicating with him through the animal. Music, through constant stereotypical sounds, helps the child find mental harmony.

Behavioral therapy

And yet the main emphasis is on the work of psychologists and teachers. Targeted classes are conducted with the aim of strengthening the child’s everyday skills, ability to self-care and communication. In this regard, classes on speech development and the formation of a communicative form of speech are extremely important. Very often, children with autism meet the criteria.

Corrective work on speech development in autistic children

All children with autism suffer from speech impairment. When working to correct a child’s condition, much attention is paid to this area. Speech pathologists, speech pathologists and psychologists are involved in the work.

Corrective measures require a lot of patience and the participation of family members, especially the mother, with whom, as a rule, the child has a strong emotional connection. A quick result cannot be achieved due to the nature of the condition, but long-term, targeted work will certainly have an effect.

Work on speech development includes:

• Exercises to develop control over gross motor skills.
• Stimulates fine motor skills.
• Development of the facial muscle group. Next - exercises to improve articulation, gymnastics “for the tongue”.
• Formation of correct breathing while pronouncing sounds.
• Work to expand the active vocabulary, speech perception, and the formation of the correct construction of grammatical forms.
• Formation of coherent speech - story from pictures, retelling, etc.

Features of the work of speech pathologists in autism

Due to the peculiarities of mental development, cooperation with such children has a lot of difficulties. Therefore, the work of specialists is divided into several stages:

• Establishing contact. Creating a calm psychological atmosphere for the child.
• Development of educational stereotypes.
• Accustoming to eye contact and perceiving the teacher's instructions.

The first stages may take a lot of time, but you won’t be able to skip them. A child with autism may simply refuse to work with a stranger if that person fails to establish a trusting relationship. Therefore, an experienced specialist is required for classes.

ABA therapy

Recently, ABA therapy (Applied Behavioral Analysis), in other words Applied Behavior Analysis, has been considered the most effective method for correcting autism. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the technique, but its effectiveness cannot be denied. Classes with an ABA specialist definitely bring results. The methodology is based on the study (analysis) of a child’s behavior, identifying ways to encourage him (tactile, sound, etc.) and using rewards for learning. Consistently reinforcing the desired action with encouragement, the specialist achieves stable formation of the skill.

The work of ABA specialists involves long-term and fairly intensive therapy, developed individually, based on the characteristics of the child’s condition.
There are methods for working with children of different ages, but the greatest effect can be achieved if you start therapy as early as 2-3 years.
The main principles of ABA therapy:

• All necessary skills are divided into blocks, each of which is studied sequentially.
• The child receives a task and completes it under the strict supervision of a specialist, receiving encouragement for the correct answer or reaction.
• During classes, the leading role always remains with the teacher, who guides the child and manages all his actions.
• To achieve the effect, regular exercises of an average of 20 hours per week are required. Depending on the characteristics and external situation, the number of lessons can be reduced to 6 hours per week.
• It is extremely important that parents become members of the teaching team, that is, they share the idea of ​​the program and work at home to consolidate the acquired skills.

With the help of ABA therapy, it is possible to train in various areas - communication skills, self-care skills, everyday behavior, speech development, etc.

Speech development in children with autism using ABA therapy

Lack of speech in autistic people is one of the most important problems that ABA teachers work with. The work in this case is also based on the block principle and is carried out consistently in all directions.

Due to the specifics of the diagnosis, work on speech development in autistic children is carried out with the involvement of various specialists - speech therapists, speech pathologists, psychologists, neuropsychologists. The main goal of the work is to develop the ability to communicate. Skill development is based on gradual, step-by-step mastery of various blocks:

• Development of auditory attention and perception.
• Stimulation of voluntary attention and formation of purposeful actions.
• Understanding and following simple instructions from the teacher.
• Teaching the perception and understanding of words.
• Improving articulation abilities, establishing correct breathing - to develop the correct sound of speech.
• Subsequently, the work becomes more complicated - the principles of grammatical construction of phrases are mastered, and elementary phrasal speech is formed.

Work on speech development in autistic people is a complex process, the duration and effectiveness of which depends on the initial state of the child. However, strict adherence to the methodology, parental involvement in the learning process, systematicity and consistency make it possible to achieve significant results.

Autism is often associated with.

Abbreviation AVA stands for Applied Behavior Analysis and is translated into Russian as Applied Behavior Analysis. ABA is a set of principles that form the basis for many behavior therapies. ABA is based on the science of learning and behavior.

This science includes general "laws" about how behavior works and how learning occurs. ABA therapy applies these laws to behavioral treatments in a manner that increases the level of desired behaviors and decreases the level of dangerous or problematic behaviors that may interfere with learning and effective social interaction. ABA therapy is also used to improve speech and communication skills, attention, memory and academic skills.

The ABA method is recognized as the best scientifically proven method for treating autism.. “Evidence-based” means that ABA therapy has been scientifically tested for usefulness, quality, and effectiveness.

ABA therapy includes many different techniques. All of these methods focus on antecedent factors ( what happens before the behavior occurs), as well as consequences ( what happens after the behavior occurs). One of the key ABA techniques is “positive reinforcement/reinforcement”. Its essence is that when a behavior is followed by a reward or encouragement, there is a high probability that such behavior will be repeated in the future. Other most common treatments based on ABA principles are block training, incidental training (or natural environment training), verbal behavior training, support skills training, etc.

All these types of ABA therapy...
Structured
Involves collecting data on target skills and behaviors
Offers positive strategies for changing reactions and behavior

Support Skills Training . It is a naturalistic, semi-structured intervention that relies on natural learning opportunities and subsequent factors.
The goal of scaffolding skills training is to increase the child's motivation by adding choices, turn-taking, and other components to the child's environment, redirecting the emphasis from areas of deficit skills to areas of scaffolding skills for independent functioning. The four core skill areas are considered to be: motivation, initiative, self-regulation and the ability to respond to multiple stimuli. It is believed that by stimulating the development of these skill areas, non-target behaviors can also be improved.

ABA therapy methods provide support to autistic children in the following areas:

1. Teach skills that replace problematic behavior. This way, the child can learn WHAT TO DO instead of WHAT NOT TO DO.
2. Increase desired behavior and decrease the occurrence of undesirable behavior. For example, reinforcement procedures encourage attentiveness during task performance and reduce self-injurious or stereotypic behavior.
3. Support desired behavior.
4. Change the response of others to the child’s behavior. Some parental responses may inadvertently serve to reinforce problematic behavior.
5. Improves a child's academic, social and self-help skills.
6. Increase the ability to focus on tasks and increase motivation to learn.
7. Improve cognitive skills.
8. Generalize or transfer behavior from one environment or situation to another (for example, completing tasks in a private learning room transitions over time to successfully completing those tasks in a general education classroom).

Components of a strong ABA program include:

Supervision. Programs should be developed and supervised by board-certified behavioral therapists who have experience working with autistic children.

Education. All program participants must have the appropriate level of training and support from specialists throughout the program.

Programming. An ABA program should be developed after a thorough assessment of the individual child's level of skill development. The goals of the program and tasks for generalizing skills must be determined in cooperation with the child’s parents and included in the plan without fail.

Data collection. Data on the child's progress in acquiring skills, as well as changes in behavior, should be systematically collected and analyzed by the supervisor for further program planning.

Family education. The child's family members should be trained to teach and reinforce the child's skills. They should also be involved in the planning and review process of the program.

Therapy team and family meetings should be held regularly to ensure consistency in program delivery and to discuss current issues and the child's progress in the program.

Abbreviation AVA stands for Applied Behavior Analysis and is translated into Russian as Applied Behavior Analysis. ABA is a set of principles that form the basis for many behavior therapies. ABA is based on the science of learning and behavior.

This science includes general "laws" about how behavior works and how learning occurs. ABA therapy applies these laws to behavioral treatments in a manner that increases the level of desired behaviors and decreases the level of dangerous or problematic behaviors that may interfere with learning and effective social interaction. ABA therapy is also used to improve speech and communication skills, attention, memory and academic skills.

The ABA method is recognized as the best scientifically proven method for treating autism.. “Evidence-based” means that ABA therapy has been scientifically tested for usefulness, quality, and effectiveness.

ABA therapy includes many different techniques. All of these methods focus on antecedent factors ( what happens before the behavior occurs), as well as consequences ( what happens after the behavior occurs). One of the key ABA techniques is “positive reinforcement/reinforcement”. Its essence is that when a behavior is followed by a reward or encouragement, there is a high probability that such behavior will be repeated in the future. Other most common treatments based on ABA principles are block training, incidental training (or natural environment training), verbal behavior training, support skills training, etc.

All these types of ABA therapy...
Structured
Involves collecting data on target skills and behaviors
Offers positive strategies for changing reactions and behavior

Support Skills Training . It is a naturalistic, semi-structured intervention that relies on natural learning opportunities and subsequent factors.
The goal of scaffolding skills training is to increase the child's motivation by adding choices, turn-taking, and other components to the child's environment, redirecting the emphasis from areas of deficit skills to areas of scaffolding skills for independent functioning. The four core skill areas are considered to be: motivation, initiative, self-regulation and the ability to respond to multiple stimuli. It is believed that by stimulating the development of these skill areas, non-target behaviors can also be improved.

ABA therapy methods provide support to autistic children in the following areas:

1. Teach skills that replace problematic behavior. This way, the child can learn WHAT TO DO instead of WHAT NOT TO DO.
2. Increase desired behavior and decrease the occurrence of undesirable behavior. For example, reinforcement procedures encourage attentiveness during task performance and reduce self-injurious or stereotypic behavior.
3. Support desired behavior.
4. Change the response of others to the child’s behavior. Some parental responses may inadvertently serve to reinforce problematic behavior.
5. Improves a child's academic, social and self-help skills.
6. Increase the ability to focus on tasks and increase motivation to learn.
7. Improve cognitive skills.
8. Generalize or transfer behavior from one environment or situation to another (for example, completing tasks in a private learning room transitions over time to successfully completing those tasks in a general education classroom).

Components of a strong ABA program include:

Supervision. Programs should be developed and supervised by board-certified behavioral therapists who have experience working with autistic children.

Education. All program participants must have the appropriate level of training and support from specialists throughout the program.

Programming. An ABA program should be developed after a thorough assessment of the individual child's level of skill development. The goals of the program and tasks for generalizing skills must be determined in cooperation with the child’s parents and included in the plan without fail.

Data collection. Data on the child's progress in acquiring skills, as well as changes in behavior, should be systematically collected and analyzed by the supervisor for further program planning.

Family education. The child's family members should be trained to teach and reinforce the child's skills. They should also be involved in the planning and review process of the program.

Therapy team and family meetings should be held regularly to ensure consistency in program delivery and to discuss current issues and the child's progress in the program.

Applied behavior analysis or ABA (Applied behavior analysis)
is a popular correction approach for persons with disabilities, especially children with autism. Unfortunately, there are common misconceptions about what ABA actually entails.

Many people associate this therapy with a narrow set of practices and even compare it to dog training, without realizing the wealth of applications and ways in which ABA techniques can be used.

ABA therapy is a mixture of psychological and educational methods that are tailored to the needs of each individual child to change their behavior. The goal of therapy is to increase language skills, play, socialization and reduce unwanted behavior.

ABA therapy helps establish better eye contact, promotes learning, and spontaneous imitation. Finally, children acquire the ability and desire to learn. In many children, self-injury, self-stimulation () and ritual behavior decrease or disappear completely.

How long should you do ABA therapy?

Lovaas's 1987 study found that nearly half (47%) of children receiving 40 hours per week of ABA therapy were eventually able to enroll in school, and achieved normal intellectual and educational functioning by the end of first grade. While children with autism receiving only 10 hours of therapy per week failed to do the same.

ABA Goals

Specific intervention targets are selected based on the child's individual problems and disorder. Children with autism often exhibit behaviors such as lack of eye contact, reluctance to engage in activities, and reluctance to follow an adult's instructions. It is the reduction of this behavior that is the first target of intervention. Once behavioral problems have been addressed and controlled, the goal of intervention may be to improve communication and social interaction.

In this ABA therapy, it is necessary to set goals and constantly monitor and evaluate progress.

Basic principles

The main principle of ABA is: that if a behavior is rewarded, it will happen again. To do this, the therapist or parent gives the child a motivator: a question or request. Waiting for a reaction. If she is positive, the therapist uses praise or an actual stimulus (toy, candy, etc.). Negative reactions should be ignored.

ABA therapy is based on some general ideas about how children with ASD learn behavior.

At the most basic level, which includes:

1. incentive (request) for the child
2. consequence - the child's reaction
3. “reinforcement” or “punishment” is based on the child’s reaction

Reinforcement this is what rewards the child for the correct answer, it increases the likelihood of this answer. Examples of possible reinforcers for young children: praise, smile, toy, soap bubbles, cartoon, treats, etc.

Punishment does not involve any physical violence! This term means disapproval and lack of encouragement.

It is necessary to conduct a functional assessment of possible reinforcements or punishments in order to determine the most effective ones in shaping the child’s behavior.